Safety first, but for whom? Shifts in risk perception for self and others following COVID-19 vaccination

Abstract

Vaccines can affect the mind as well as the body. Research on the psychological impact of vaccines has largely focused on risk-related judgments and behaviors involving the recipient. Here, we extend this work to risk-related judgments of others. In a prospective cohort study involving three samples and two timepoints (N = 588 adults), we tested competing hypotheses about the effects of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine on perceived risks to the unvaccinated: (1) a self/other differentiation hypothesis (vaccination will lead to estimation of lower risk for the self but higher risk for others) versus (2) a self/other correspondence hypothesis (vaccination will lead to estimation of lower risk from contracting COVID-19 for both self and others). Results revealed risk estimates as well as preferences for COVID-related social policies more consistent with the former hypothesis. We discuss potential psychological mechanisms and implications of these findings.